Finding Each Other
by MayzeMerlo
Summary: Collection of works for SoMa Week 2016. Being in love isn't the hard part, finding each other is.
**A.N: I've finally learned AHEAD of time when SoMa week was happening, so it is now time for me to jump completely onto the bandwagon to hell. See you guys there! Enjoy!**

Prompt #1 : Types of Kisses

Maka would be lying if she said she'd never read about kissing. Truth be told, she'd read about more risque things. Maka had read quite a few trashy romance novels in her years, though she was a little embarrassed about it. She knew that if any of her friends heard she'd gone to a book to learn how to kiss they would never let her live it down. She just couldn't help feeling a little too inexperienced next to her ladies man of a partner.

Soul was gone every weekend with a different girl. At least that's what she would assume because he never came home before midnight and always looked disheveled. His hair would be throw to odd angles and he'd have his clothes wrinkled. Sometimes she'd hear him open the front door and walk to his room, but she had managed to catch him entering a few times. Once or twice she could have sworn she saw red lipstick on his collar, though he'd say he was tired and beeline it to his room before she even got out 'Hi'.

Her partner wasn't the only one broadening their horizons in their team. Tsubaki and Blackstar seemed to have gotten closer the last few months, though with how erratic Blackstar's behavior was, Maka could never tell if they were actually together. It was the small things that Blackstar did that made her question their relationship. He'd maybe brush her hair away from her face or loop his arm around her, though Tsubaki was completely content with it from what Maka had seen. Kid and Liz have also gotten together officially and have not been shy about their activities. Or, better said, Liz was not shy about their activities. Kid never said anything, though when something was mentioned he would never prove or dispute it, just smile at Liz like he knew something she didn't. It was cute, but made the rest of us gag a little sometimes. Even Patty had her fair share of boys to go with if she so desired, but those dates were few and far between.

Shortly put, Maka was about the only one who wasn't engaging in other people the way her friends were. She knew it wasn't a bad thing and that it didn't reflect any kind of fault of hers, but it still sucked. The worst part was that even if she did get asked out, Maka knew she would say no because she already liked someone. That someone being her player of a partner.

However, if there was thing she prided herself on, it was her intelligence. And she knew that if she ever told Soul it would ruin their resonance for good. If Soul telling her she had fat ankles screwed their resonance for days, Maka could only imagine the damage that would be done if she told him she _liked_ him. Maka used the term 'like' loosely when it came to Soul. She knew her feelings went deeper than some crush, but she would never forgive herself if she _fell in love_ with her partner. Saying she _loved_ him would just set her up for heartbreak. So instead she just really liked him. Like she could live with, for now.

Besides, Maka knew that she wasn't unattractive, in fact she thought she was quite pretty. She'd never been insecure about her body, and while Soul's 14 year old self teasing her didn't help, she always knew he was just joking. Maybe next to Tsubaki she wouldn't be considered beautiful, but she was pretty in her own right. Her desire to just tell Soul and end her misery had gotten worse over the last few weeks with Soul going out on dates more, so she had been keeping her distance when she could. Once she got over Soul there would be plenty of fish in the sea, but for now she had to sit tight and wait for the storm to pass.

But just because she didn't consider herself available for a relationship with anyone else right now didn't mean she couldn't learn what she could about romance. Thus, bringing this logic full circle, it made perfect sense that she could read about it to get a general grasp in the subject. She wasn't stupid enough to believe all the trashy smut was accurate by any means, but there is a speck of truth behind every lie. She figured that one of the more truthful aspects of those books were the kisses. She couldn't imagine how someone could butcher a description of a kiss. Granted she had never had her first kiss, but she could imagine how it felt.

In rare moments of weakness and, in retrospect, loneliness she had imagined what Soul would be like. She imagined that he would keep his cool persona in place until it got heated. He would probably find it hard to hold back after a little while. Maka had seen Soul at his most livid and at his angriest, but also knew he was incredibly passionate. She couldn't imagine that fire just being snuffed out in the moment. She imagined he would kiss like he fought, with all he's got. With lips, tongue, and teeth working in tandem. Rough, but never careless. Passionate, but never all consuming. Demanding, but not relentless. His kiss would be designed to take your breath away and make your head spin in the best way. Soul would tangle his hand in her hair and pull enough to demonstrate the feeling without hurting. His other hand would slide to her hips and rub the skin of her waist. He would trace the end of her spine with gentle hands that had slight callouses.

And it was precisely for that reason she stayed as far as she could away from him without seeming suspicious. She didn't trust herself to not say something stupid. Maka would never be able to compose herself in front of him. While of course she had hope that he would return her feelings, she knew the probability was not in her favor. It was the slim hope that he would be her first kiss that kept her away from him.

SoMaSoMaSoMa

It was a Saturday night and Soul was out again. Maka had been bingeing a new book series to forget the fact that he was missing from their apartment. What she hadn't counted on was actually liking the series and quickly became absorbed into the story line. Maka completely lost track of time and it wasn't until the sound of keys struggling to unlock the front door that she realized how late it was. A quick glance at the clock across the living room confirmed it was well past midnight, 2:47 am to be exact. She was still surrounded by mugs and the previous books in the series she had already gotten halfway through. Blankets were piled on top of her legs on the couch. All together she was too cozy to move and go to her room to avoid Soul. The doorknob turning made her turn her head back to her book, her back turned towards the now opening door.

She heard his first step in the apartment, his cheap sneakers making a squeaking sound against the tile. The rustle of fabric signaled him turning to close the door behind him. The door clicked close, the lock sounding, and then the tell tale sound of him struggling to take off his shoes while standing on one foot. He mostly made cautious grunts though there was a slight bang on the wall and a whispered "Fuck". She wanted to laugh, but she just turned the page in her book. She wasn't reading anymore, but listening for him to make his next move. She didn't want to see him in the aftermath of some alley sex. But it would be weird to not greet Soul him since that was what she normally did, when she was awake that is.

Folding the corner of the page in her book she turned to face him, a tired smile on her face. She tried for tired because of the hour, but she was sure it came out sadder than she had meant. His shirt was wrinkled and there was a streak of red on his neck that she quickly averted her eyes from. His hair was messed up and he looked like he did when he came back from training with her, sweaty and with a slight rag doll to his limbs. His red eyes locked with hers and he looked decidedly satisfied. His expression fixed in one of pleased exhaustion.

"Hey." His baritone voice rang out. It was too loud in the silence of the apartment. Everything felt too tight now that he was in the room.

"Hey." she replied quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, though she didn't know why. His eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled at her, though it seemed almost to forced.

"I didn't expect you to still be up. I would have thought you'd have gone to sleep hours ago." he mused almost to himself. He propped himself against the doorway, leaning his head back against the wall making him almost look down at her from the angle.

"Couldn't sleep, so I was reading…," she trailed off lifting the book. He hadn't moved from the doorway. She almost wished he would go to his room so she wouldn't have to look at his rumpled form. He just nodded and looked around the room, still leaning on the door frame with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"How was your date?" she meant for it to come off casually, but there was a small accusatory undertone to it. His eyes widened, she had never brought up what he was doing most nights. Most of the time she never had the opportunity to ask.

"What?" he responded, leaning forward slightly as though he hadn't heard her properly. He was pretty sure he heard exactly what she said but he looked almost as if her question was uncalled for.

"Your date. How was it? I'm assuming it went well considering you just got home and it's almost 3 am." She responded slightly bitterly. It could be played off as her not approving of screwing around with other girls. That wasn't too far from the truth honestly.

Tension wound tight in her muscles. She knew that tension could snap at any moment, especially now that she was with Soul. Maka felt like a time bomb and she just wanted to not face this side of Soul. Life would have been so much easier if she could just ignore the ache she felt when he came home after one of his dates. She got up to leave the room, throwing the blankets off her legs and grabbing the mug off the table to put in the sink. She didn't want to see his face, she knew she had crossed some kind of line. They never talked about what he did at night. She never asked and he never told, so she supposed she broke the silence on the subject. Her bare feet padding on the tile filled the hushed apartment and the clanking of porcelain as she rinsed the mug and put it in the dishwasher distracted her from her desire to turn around.

Maka walked out of the kitchen, past Soul, and to grab her blanket. The books could stay on the coffee table until morning. The sound of Soul pushing off the wall only registered behind the conscience effort to control her breathing. She had begun to walk away when a warm hand caught hers. Maka's heart stopped and the feeling of barbed wire around her heart consumed her emotions. She looked Soul, raising an eyebrow, expecting him to fill the quiet atmosphere. He just grinned and he looked all too pleased with himself. His teeth glimmered in the low light from the kitchen and his messy hair stood out against the contrast. He hadn't let go of her hand.

"You think I'm fucking around." The amused disbelief in his voice made her want to punch the smirk right off his stupid face, but she just twisted out of his grip. A coil of pent up aggression wound tighter in her stomach.

"Well you come home at ungodly hours in the night looking like _this,_ what else am I supposed to think?" She turned to go, when the quiet was filled with a sound she loved and her heart broke a little. He was laughing. Laughing so loudly that she thought he might wake their neighbors. Maka whipped around to see Soul clutching his stomach and red in the face from laughing so hard.

So she did the only conceivable thing she could think of and threw her blanket at him as she marched back over to him.

"Do you think screwing a different girl every week is funny, Soul?" She said venomously to him, stabbing her finger in his chest like she could imprint her anger there, but it only made him laugh harder.

He raised himself enough to say, "Why yes, Miss Prissy Pants, I think it's more than funny. I think it's fucking hilarious!" before he dissolved back into laughter. Maka's blood was starting to boil so when he exclaimed, "I'm so glad you have such confidence in my seduction tactics!" she thought her head might explode in anger. That coil twisted tighter and tighter yet.

She was about to stomp her way to her room, when he reached out for her. Holding her hand he tugged her back to him. The redness was starting to fade from his face when she looked at him. He looked so much more relaxed, as though a weight had been lifted off him.

"I'm not going on dates when I'm out, Maka." Soul said with a lilt of humor in his voice. Her eyebrows scrunched up and confusion filled her features. The coil in her stomach snapped, leaving behind a state of surprising tranquility. She relaxed slightly in his grip, slowly closing her hand around his.

"Really?" She questioned a little too hopeful sounding. He grinned back at her with that boyish tilt she loved so much. She could feel butterflies fill her stomach just looking at it and his hand felt almost too hot in hers.

"I wish I was getting laid that much." He jokes back at her, which makes her huff and smack his shoulder with her free hand. He just laughs at her and the tension in her body leaves. A small smile works its way onto her face.

"Then what have you been doing on the weekends?" She questions. Soul froze. His hand went to his hair and he chuckled nervously. He shifted his weight to the other foot and looked away from her, his face coloring.

"Well...uh… Blackstar started a… um… club." He stammered out. Maka just quirked a brow at him, sceptical.

"A club?"

"Yeah… a club."

"A club about what?"

"You know… club stuff."

"Very funny, Soul, " She looked right into his eyes and said in a sickly sweet voice, "What is the club about again?"

"We're not actually supposed to divulge any club secrets, so…" Soul trailed off rubbing the back of his neck.

"Soul."

"Yeah?"

"I will go ask Blackstar myself if you don't tell me."

"It's just a kind of training. Except we match up, place some bets on the winner… nothing weird, just hand-to-hand." Soul rushed out in a mumble. A grin spread on Maka's face, though it was one that promised blackmail later.

"Soul, are you part of a fight club?" She asked with amusement glittering her voice. He turned red and she just started laughing at him, trying to smother her giggles with her free hand.

"Ha Ha, yes, very funny, you can stop now." He said sarcastically, tearing his hand from her grip to shove it moodily in his pocket. Maka reined in her humor and instead took a step towards him and shifted the collar of his shirt revealing what looked like a small streak of blood. Maka suddenly felt silly for believing it to be lipstick. She licked the end of her thumb and started to rub it off.

"I hope this isn't yours…" She murmured, but he heard.

"It's not, the other guy got it much worse." He said with a hint of pride. She slightly frowned. Most of the blood came off quick, but a few of the thicker dried streaks remained.

"You know I don't approve." She said firmly, though it was a weak statement at best and he knew it. She began to use her nail to scrape the red flakes off his skin.

"I think I can live with that." He whispered to her, catching the hand on his neck into his larger hand. The moment she looked up to his face was the moment her resolve to distance herself shattered. He slowly traced his fingers from her hand to her wrist and up her forearm. He watched his hand trail the length of her arm to her shoulder. He looked into her eyes as his hand slid from her shoulder down the length of her spine to rest on her waist.

His eyes flickered to her lips and back to her eyes. The hand on her waist was hotter than the sun and the silence of the room was replaced with blood rushing to her head. Her tongue slid along her lips nervously. He raised his free hand to rest against her jaw, cupping her cheek and Maka leaned into the touch. She was sure he could feel her heartbeat, but all she could focus on was how his lower lip was fuller than his upper and was light pink in color. When the hand on her cheek slid to hold the back of her neck, she swears she stopped breathing. He slowly brought her face closer to his, almost waiting for her to push him away. She closed her eyes and leaned in to him.

The moment her lips touched his time slowed down. The heat and softness of his lips surprised her. There was no explosion of pleasure or burst of hidden feeling. Perhaps if it wasn't Soul she would have found her first kiss pretty underwhelming. But it was Soul and it was perfect. Not in the way where nothing will ever be better than this, but in a way where it was the meaning behind it that took her breath away instead of the kiss itself. The feeling of just being close provided a fuzzy warmness to spread to Maka's limbs. He moved his lips against hers and she tried to respond, but they had yet to find a rhythm that worked for them both so it turned out kinda sloppy. There was no fire or overwhelming passion about the kiss, but it was kind and gentle. Maka wound her hands into his hair and in turn he pulled her towards him using the hand on her waist.

Air soon became a need, but even when they broke lips neither wanted to part just yet, so they leaned their foreheads together. Basking in the afterglow of a new beginning, they remained holding each other a little while longer, enjoying the simple feeling of being held by another. Breaking the silence, Maka giggled. Soul smiled a crooked smile while looking down at her.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that…" She whispered, burying her head in his neck. He slid the hand on her neck down to join the other on her waist and rested his cheek against her hair.

"If it's anywhere near as long as I have wanted to kiss you, then I think I have an idea…"

 **A.N: I've missed not writing depressing stuff, it feels nice to write fluff. That's probably what this whole week is going to be, but I have a few angsty ideas. R &R If you had a good or bad experience let me know in the comments! - M&M **


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